DISCOVERING the MISSION of MANKIND-II—Genesis 2:4-25
Attention:
A local priest was being honored at his retirement dinner after 25 years in the parish.
A leading local politician & member of the congregation was chosen to make the presentation & to give a little speech at the dinner.
However, he was delayed so the priest decided to say his own few words while they waited:
"I got my first impression of the parish from the first confession I heard here. I thought I had been assigned to a terrible place. The very first person who entered my confessional told me he had stolen a television set &, when questioned by the police, was able to lie his way out of it. He had also stolen money from his parents, embezzled from his employer, had an affair with his best friend's wife, & taken illicit drugs. I was appalled.
"But as the days went on I learned that my people were not all like that & I had, indeed, come to a fine parish full of good & loving people."
Just as the priest finished his talk, the politician arrived full of apologies for being late. He immediately began to make the presentation & said: "I'll never forget the first day our parish priest arrived. In fact, I had the honor of being the first person to go to him for confession."
The politician’s mission from that point on— Never, never, NEVER-EVER be late!
God has a Mission for mankind.
Have we discovered our part in it?
Need:
God had a mission for mankind.
& He still does.
How is mankind’s mission to be experienced/entered/engaged/found/discovered?
The last time we were in Genesis we discovered that
Mankind’s mission is bound-up with....
1. His HISTORY (:4) Past
2. His FUTURE(:4-6)
3. His BREATH(:7)the Breath of Life—God-given
4—Mankind’s mission is bound-up with....
His PLACEMENT(:8-14)
Explanation:(:8-14) The Garden in Eden
:8—“The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, & there He put the man whom He had formed.”
Upon his creation & being given life, YeHoWaH also prepared a specific place for the man. He “planted a garden.
He planted it “eastward”—of the location of man’s creation— in a place known(to the Israelites?) as “Eden.” As Eden means pleasure, it is possibly significant as this relates to a further aspect of man’s nature, that is, he was created with an ability to experience pleasure. YeHoWaH wanted man to live with a degree of pleasure.
YeHoWaH actively “put”/“placed” the man in this garden after He had been “formed.”
“Planted”—ejn naw-tah'—To plant, fasten, fix, establish. Strong—properly, To strike in, i.e. Fix; specifically, To plant (literally or figuratively):-- Fastened, plant(-er).
“Garden”—Ng gan—Garden, enclosure. Strong—A garden (as fenced):-- Garden.
“Eastward”—Mdq keh'-dem—N. common masculine singular absolute—1) East, antiquity, front, that which is before, aforetime—1a) Front, from the front or east, in front[the front of the tabernacle faced eastward], mount of the East, 1b) Ancient time, aforetime, ancient, from of old, earliest time, 1c) Anciently, of old (adverb), 1d) Beginning, 1e) East.
“Eden”—Nde ay'-den—= “Pleasure”
“Put/Placed”—Mws soom—To put, place, set, appoint, make.
“Formed”(See :7, 19)—ruy yaw-tsar'—V. Qal waw Consecutive third masculine singular—To form, fashion, frame. Strong—To mould into a form; especially as a potter; figuratively, To determine (i.e. form a resolution):-- X earthen, fashion, form, frame, make(-r), potter, purpose.
:9—“And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight & good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, & the tree of the knowledge of good & evil.”
Within the garden, God caused all manner of “trees” to “grow.” These trees served at least two purposes...1)They were “pleasant to the sight”(of man) & 2)They were “good for food.”
1) Again relates to the name of the garden & God’s intention for man to experience pleasure. The tree’s appearance gave man pleasure. Thus man is a visually oriented creature.
2)The trees also provided nourishment for the man.
There are also, in the garden, mentioned two particular trees. These trees were located “in the midst of the garden.” They are known as “the Tree of Life” & “the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil.” Very strange names for trees. This oddity signifies that these trees have more than a mere physical significance...theirs is spiritual as well. This will become apparent in the events of 2:17, 3:1-7 & 3:22-24.
“Tree”2X—Ue ates— Tree, wood, timber, stock, plank, stalk, stick, gallows.
“Pleasant”—dmx khaw-mad'—V. Nifal participle masculine singular absolute—To desire, covet, take pleasure in, delight in—1b) (Niphal) To be desirable. Strong—To delight in:-- Beauty, greatly beloved, covet, Delectable thing, (X great) delight, desire, goodly, lust, (be) pleasant (thing), precious (thing).
“Sight”—harm mar-eh'—Sight, appearance, vision.
“Good”2X(See :12)—bwj tobe—N. common masculine singular absolute—A good thing, benefit, welfare.
“Food”—lkam mah-ak-awl'—Food, fruit, meat.. Strong—An eatable (includ. provender, flesh & fruit):-- Food, fruit, ([bake-]) meat(-s), victual.
“Life”(See :7(“Living”))—yx khah'-ee—N. Common masculine plural absolute—2) Relatives; 3) Life (abstract emphatic)—3a) Life—3b) Sustenance, maintenance.
“Midst”—Kwt taw'-vek—Midst, middle. Strong—from an unused root meaning to sever; A bisection, i.e. (by implication) The centre:-- Among(-st), X between, half, X (there-,where-), in(-to), middle, mid[-night],midst (among), X out (of), X through, X with(-in).
“Knowledge”—ted dah'-ath—N. common feminine singular construct—1) Knowledge—1a) Knowledge, perception, skill, 1b) Discernment, understanding, wisdom. Strong—Knowledge:-- Cunning, [ig-]norantly, know(-ledge), [un-]awares (wittingly).
“Evil”—er rah —Adj. masculine singular absolute—Bad, evil. Strong–Bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral).
:10—“Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, & from there it parted & became four riverheads.”
From the place known as Eden, a river flowed. the river watered the garden itself. From the garden, the river then divided becoming the source of four rivers.
The usual expectation of the flow of rivers today is that rivers come together to form larger rivers. The Eden river is just the opposite, as its strength is divided into four ?smaller? rivers.
These four rivers are named & described in :11-14 in terms ?familiar? to or discoverable by the Israelite audience.
“River”—rhn naw-hawr'—1) Stream, river—1a) Stream, river, 1b) (Underground) streams. Strong—A stream (including the sea; expec. the Nile, Euphrates, etc.); figuratively, Prosperity:-- Flood, river.
“Went out of”—auy yaw-tsaw'—V. Qal participle masculine singular absolute—1) To go out, come out, exit, go forth.—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To go or come out or forth, depart, 1a2) To go forth (to a place), 1a3) To go forward, proceed to (to or toward something), 1a4) To come or go forth (with purpose or for result), 1a5) To come out of.
“Water”(See :6)—hqv shaw-kaw'—V. Hifil infinitive Construct—To give to drink, irrigate, drink, water, cause to drink water. 1a) (Hiphil)—1a1) To water, irrigate,1a2) To water, give drink to. Strong—To quaff, i.e. (causatively) To irrigate or furnish a potion to:-- Cause to (give, give to, let, make to) drink, drown, moisten, water.
“Parted”—drp paw-rad'—V. Nifal imperfect third masculine singular—To separate, divide—1b) (Niphal)—1b1) To divide, separate, 1b2) To be divided, be separated.
“Became”(See :24)—hyh haw-yaw—V. Qal perfect third masculine singular consecutive—1) To be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out—1a) (Qal)—1a1) —1a1a) To happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass, 1a1b) To come about, come to pass—1a2) To come into being, become—1a2a) To arise, appear, come, 1a2b) To become—1a2b1) To become, 1a2b2) To become like, 1a2b3) To be instituted, be established. Strong—To exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, & not a mere copula or auxiliary).
“Riverheads”—var roshe—Head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning. Strong—The head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.):-- Band, beginning, captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company, end, X every [man], excellent, first, forefront, ([be-])head, height, (on) high(-est part, [priest]), X lead, X poor, principal, ruler, sum, top.
:11—“The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which skirts the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.”
The rivers borne from the Eden river are named in ascending order by number—first, second, third & fourth.
The “first” river is recognized as the “Pishon.” This river “skirts” the land which is known as “Havilah.” “Pishon” is mentioned only here in Scripture.
The ‘-on’ ending may make both the “Pishon” & “Gihon” a diminutive “gusher” of a river compared to the Tigris & Euphrates(:14).—Victor P. Hamilton
This river is non-existent in our day, but it must have been known or heard of by the Israelites, as would have been Havilah.
The location of Havilah is infirm. Gen. 25:18 “mentions a Havilah as one of the boundaries of Ishmaelite territory,” which would place it in SW Arabia.—Victor P. Hamilton
“Pishon”—Nwvyp Piyshown —“Increase.” Strong—Dispersive. From —vwp—To spread.
“Skirts//Compasseth/Flows around/Winds through””(See :13—“Goes around”)—bbo saw-bab'—V. Qal participle masculine singular absolute—To turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or around, surround, encircle, change direction. 1a) (Qal)—1a1) To turn, turn about, be brought round, change, 1a2) To march or walk around, go partly around, circle about, skirt, make a round, make a circuit, go about to, surround, encompass.
“Havilah”—hlywx khav-ee-law'—=“Circle”—1) A part of Eden through which flowed the river Pison (Araxes); was probably the Grecian Colchis, in the northeast corner of Asia Minor, near the Caspian Sea; 2) A district in Arabia of the Ishmaelites named from the 2nd son of Cush; probably the district of Kualan, in the northwestern part of Yemen.
“Gold”—bhz zaw-hawb'—1) Gold—1a) As precious metal, 1b) As a measure of weight, 1c) Of brilliance, splendor (fig.). Strong—from an unused root meaning to shimmer; Gold, figuratively, Something gold-colored (i.e. yellow), as oil, a clear sky:-- Gold(-en), fair weather.
“Good”(See :9)—bwj tobe—N. common masculine singular absolute—A good thing, benefit, welfare.
“Bdellium”—xldb bed-o'-lakh—1) Bdellium (ie gum resin). Strong—Something in pieces, i.e. bdellium, a (fragrant) gum (perhaps amber); others a pearl:-- Bdellium.
:12—“And the gold of that land is good. Bdellium & the onyx stone are there.”
It is recognized, in the Israelite’s generation, that “gold” can be found in Havilah. Thus gold was considered a precious metal to the Israelites(& others) who had just exited the splendor of Egypt.
The gold is in fact, considered to be “good.” Evidently, ancient peoples recognized both good & not-so-good gold.
This substance’s identity as bdellium is uncertain. Some think it may actually be pearl. Bdellium(‘dell ee-um) is a yellowish aromatic resin taken from a specific small shrub(Commiphora wightii) commonly used in incense & perfumes.
“Onyx”—Mhv sho'-ham—1) A precious stone or gem—1a) probably Onyx, chrysoprasus, beryl, malachite. Strong—from an unused root probably mean to blanch; A gem, probably the Beryl (from its pale green color):-- Onyx.
‘The colors of its bands range from white to almost every color (save some shades, such as purple or blue). Commonly, specimens of onyx available contain bands of colors of white, tan, & brown.’—Wikipedia
The names of the tribes of Israel were engraved on 2 onyx stones on the high priest’s ephod (Ex. 28:9-10). The name of “Joseph”(Ex. 28:10, 20 & Gen. 30:24) was engraved on onyx & worn by the high priest on the priestly breastplate. It is also the 8th of the 12 foundation stones of the new Jerusalem(Rev. 21:20—Beryl?).
“Stone”—Nba eh'-ben—1) Stone (large or small)
:13—“The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one which goes around the whole land of Cush.”
The “Gihon” is the 2nd river mentioned &, like the Pishon, is only referred to here. It seems from the etymology that, like the Pishon, the Gihon originates as a hugely forceful spring of water.
This river encompasses the entire land of “Cush.”
Cush is one of 2 places. It can refer to the land of Ethiopia(Nubia), which seems doubtful.
There is also a “Cush” that is known to be a territory located east of the Tigris. It may refer to the Kassites(Akk. kassu/kussu) known to have inhabited the land east ot the Tigris (?after the Babylonians?—of whom Moses would have been unfamiliar). Havilah is linked with Cush & Cush with Babylon(Gen. 10:7-10) thereby placing it above or at the present Persian Gulf. An ancient name for the Gulf is ‘Bitter River.’
“Gihon”—Nwxyg ghee-khone'—“Bursting forth”
“Goes around/Compasseth/Flows around/Winds through”(See :1—“Skirts”)—bbo saw-bab'—V. Qal participle masculine singular absolute—To turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or around, surround, encircle, change direction. 1a) (Qal)—1a1) To turn, turn about, be brought round, change, 1a2) To march or walk around, go partly around, circle about, skirt, make a round, make a circuit, go about to, surround, encompass.
“Cush”—vwk koosh—= “Black”—2) The son of Ham & grandson of Noah & the progenitor of the southernmost peoples located in Africa; 3) The peoples descended from Cush; 4) The land occupied by the descendants of Cush located around the southern parts of the Nile (Ethiopia).
:14—“The name of the third river is Hiddekel; it is the one which goes toward the east of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates.”
The 3rd river originating from the Eden river is the “Hiddekel.” It is accepted as referring to the Tigris, which now flows from SE. Turkey thru Syria & Iraq, joining with the “Euphrates” before emptying into the Persian Gulf. Both are principle & well-known rivers of Mesopotamia. The Tigris flows thru modern-day Mosul & Baghdad, Iraq. The Euphrates has less print here as it is the principle river of Mesopotamia.
The text mentions that the river flows “toward the east of Assyria. This appears to conflict with the headwaters stemming from Eden(Persian Gulf area), which would cause the waters to flow away from Eden?...
However our text deals with a vastly different scenario than was experienced even in Moses’ day. Also, Moses is putting the revelation in terms what is understandable &/or known to the Israelites. In other words, the Hiddekel currently(Moses) flows “toward the east of Assyria.”
Perhaps the present reversed flow of the rivers suggests that Eden & thus its idyllic paradise are rendered unlocatable & thereby indeed inaccessible to man & “beyond man’s present experience”— even for Moses & the Israelites.—Gordon J. Wenham
“Hiddekel/Tigris”—lqdx khid-deh'-kel—= “Rapid”—1) One of the rivers of Eden which coursed east toward Assyria; better known as the Tigris (the LXX equivalent).
“Assyria”—rwva 'ash-shoor'—Strong–apparently from rva aw-shar' (in the sense of successful); Ashshur, the second son of Shem; also his descendants & the country occupied by them (i.e. Assyria), its region & its empire:-- Asshur, Assur, Assyria, Assyrians. Thayer—1) The second son of Shem, eponymous ancestor of the Assyrians; 2) The people of Assyria; 3) the nation, Assyria; 4) The land, Assyria or Asshur.
“Euphrates”—trp per-awth'—= “Fruitfulness.”
Argumentation:
Amos 5:18-20—“Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! For what good is the day of the LORD to you? It will be darkness, & not light. It will be as though a man fled from a lion, And a bear met him! Or as though he went into the house, Leaned his hand on the wall, And a serpent bit him! Is not the day of the LORD darkness, & not light? Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it?”
God has PLACED you in the very presence of His Son—in His very presence...
Jn. 14:6-9—“Jesus said to him[Thomas], “I am the way, the truth, & the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; & from now on you know Him & have seen Him.” Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, & it is sufficient for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, & yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”
How does this effect your Mission?
Eph. 3:14-19—“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven & earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted & grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width & length & depth & height-- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Illustration:
Raising our children/Avoid the ‘wrong friends’/ ‘Friends’ driven by Drugs, Sexuality, Money, Other people(patsies), etc./We want our children to hand around ‘kids that are going somewhere/PLACEMENT
What for you, is the Idyllic life?i
Someone we know who was continually moving their kids from one elementary school to the next—Poor influences or poor education/Mission is effected by PLACEMENT & vice-versa.
Placement that involves provision & seeking the best.
Application:
?Your Mission bound-up in the reality of Man’s PLACEMENT?
?Your Mission bound-up in God’s will?
5—Mankind’s mission is bound-up with....
His RESPONSIBILITY/Purpose(:15)
Explanation:(:15) Cultivate & Keep
:15—“Then the LORD God took the man & put him in the garden of Eden to tend & keep it.”
This is a reiteration of :8. However here God deposits man in the garden, causing him to remain or rest there.
This verse reveals the added detail of man’s purpose. A part of man’s purpose, as a resident of the garden, is to serve(“tend”) & take charge or care(“keep”) of “the garden of Eden.”
A garden is a place which is untouched by natural competitions being maintained by artificial means. This is a time before weeds, thorns & thistles competed with the plants God had chosen for the Garden.
However man’s purpose/mission was to “tend & keep” the garden. Its artificial nature was to be maintained, rather than allowing the plant’s propagating processes themselves determine the garden’s outcome.
What is the implication of working & guarding the garden in relation to man’s purpose now? God never intended for man to painfully toil with excessive hard labor for his meals—a consequence of sin(3:17-19). In fact, something to ponder is that there is no mention of tools.
Adam had no cultural pressures by which to conform or be measured...No tests or entrance exams to take...No education to be judged by...No fallible boss to answer to. No expectations other than those of the Almighty, All-knowing, Ever-loving, Eternal God!
“Put...in”—xny yaw-nakh'—V. Hifil waw consecutive third masculine singular—1) To rest—1b) (Hiphil)—1b1) To cause to rest, give rest to, make quiet, 1b2) To cause to rest, cause to alight, set down, 1b3) To lay or set down, deposit, let lie, place, 1b4) To let remain, leave, 1b5) To leave, depart from, 1b6) To abandon, 1b7) To permit. Strong—To deposit; by implication, To allow to stay:-- Bestow, cast down, lay (down, up), leave (off), let alone (remain), pacify, place, put, set (down), suffer, withdraw, withhold.
“Tend/Dress/Cultivate/Work”(See :5)—dbe aw-bad'—V. Qal infinitive construct—1) To work, serve—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To labor, work, do work, 1a2) To work for another, serve another by labor, 1a3) To serve as subjects, 1a4) To serve (God), 1a5) To serve (with Levitical service). Strong—To work (in any sense); by implication, To serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc.
“Keep/Take care of”—rmv shaw-mar'—V. Qal infinitive construct—1) To keep, guard, observe, give heed. 1a) (Qal)—1a1) To keep, have charge of, 1a2) To keep, guard, keep watch & ward, protect, save life—1a2a) Watch, watchman (participle), 1a3) To watch for, wait for, 1a4) To watch, observe, 1a5) To keep, retain, treasure up (in memory), 1a6) To keep (within bounds), restrain, 1a7) To observe, celebrate, keep (sabbath or covenant or commands), perform (vow), 1a8) To keep, preserve, protect, 1a9) To keep, reserve. Strong—properly, To hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. Guard; generally, To protect, attend to, etc.:-- Beware, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).
Argumentation:
Eccl. 3:9-13—“What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, & to do good in their lives, & also that every man should eat & drink & enjoy the good of all his labor--it is the gift of God.”
Deut. 10:12—““And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways & to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart & with all your soul,”
Mic. 6:8—“He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?”
Mat. 11:28-30—““Come to Me, all you who labor & are heavy laden, & I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you & learn from Me, for I am gentle & lowly in heart, & you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy & My burden is light.””
Illustration:
Children/Parents may give them specific chores—Washing dishes, Mowing lawn, Weeding garden, Washing the car, Emptying trash, Making the beds, Cooking supper, Walking the dog, Helping the neighbor, etc./Gets them ready for life on their own/RESPONSIBILITY
Political debates/All minor & heated debates center around the representative RESPONSIBILITIES of the politicians involved/RESPONSIBILITY
Application:
?Your Mission bound-up in the reality of Man’s RESPONSIBILITY/Purpose?
?Your Mission bound-up in God’s will?
6—Mankind’s mission is bound-up with....
His CHOICES—FREEDOM & PROHIBITION(:16-17)
Explanation:(:16-17)
:16—“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;”
Upon placing the man in the garden & giving him—or rather expecting—his marching orders, YeHoWaH then gives command directly to the man. YeHoWaH gives the man free reign to “eat” “of every tree” within the garden where he lives. All of the trees there were “pleasing to the sight & good for food”(:9), so the man had an idyllic life available to him.
“Commanded”—hwu tsaw-vaw'—V. Piel waw consecutive third masculine singular apocopated—1) To command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order—1a) (Piel)—1a1) To lay charge upon, 1a2) To give charge to, give command to, 1a3) To give charge unto, 1a4) To give charge over, appoint, 1a5) To give charge, command, 1a6) To charge, command, 1a7) To charge, commission, 1a8) To command, appoint, ordain (of divine act). Strong—(intensively) To constitute, enjoin:-- Appoint, (for-)bid, (give a) charge, (give a, give in, send with) command(-er, -ment), send a messenger, put, (set) in order.
“Freely eat”2X—lka aw-kal'—1)V. Qal infinitive absolute—&—2)V. Qal imperfect second masculine singular—?Do the two words side by side make the ‘eating’ emphatic &/or heighten its intensity?—1) To eat, devour, burn up, feed—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To eat (human subject), 1a2) To eat, devour (of beasts & birds), 1a3) To devour, consume (of fire), 1a4) To devour, slay (of sword), 1a5) To devour, consume, destroy (inanimate subjects - ie, pestilence, drought), 1a6) To devour (of oppression).
:17—“but of the tree of the knowledge of good & evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.””
Along with the tremendous provisive latitude & freedom given man by YeHoWaH’s grace, he is also given a single prohibition. He is not to eat from “the tree of the knowledge of good & evil.” He is not just told not to eat of it but he is also informed that there is a consequence to eating its fruit. The man is told that upon his eating its particular fruit, he “shall surely die.” The ramifications of this consequence are discovered later.
“Die”—twm mooth—V. Qal imperfect second masculine singular—To die, kill, have one executed.
Argumentation:
1Cor. 8:7-13—“However, there is not in everyone that knowledge; for some, with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an idol; & their conscience, being weak, is defiled. But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols? And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when you thus sin against the brethren, & wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.”
1Cor. 10:27-32—“If any of those who do not believe invites you to dinner, & you desire to go, eat whatever is set before you, asking no question for conscience’ sake. But if anyone says to you, “This was offered to idols,” do not eat it for the sake of the one who told you, & for conscience’ sake; for “the earth is the LORD’S, & all its fullness.” “Conscience,” I say, not your own, but that of the other. For why is my liberty judged by another man’s conscience? But if I partake with thanks, why am I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks? Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God,”
We are not to argue, condemn or insist on our freedoms, but we are to instead, modify our actions for the sake of others, while not modifying our own consciences. We change the outside for the sake of appearance to others only, that they may not be drawn into something sinful against their own conscience. Legalism or liberalism should never pull us into the same mindset.
Eccl. 12:13-14—“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God & keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.”
Illustration:
As a driver for CT/Company new rule that all transported materials aside from metal must be tarped/Absolutely prohibited from leaving load untarped/Some guys complained bitterly/Some openly disobeyed/The Prohibition either destroyed or secured their Freedom & enjoyment/I had CHOICES—FREEDOM & PROHIBITION/Compliance let me enjoy the job.
Application:
?Your Mission bound-up in the reality of Man’s CHOICES?
?Your Mission bound-up in God’s will?
7—Mankind’s mission is bound-up with....
His COUNTERPART (:18-24)
Explanation:(:18-24) Woman
:18—“And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.””
Along with the provision & prohibition, YeHoWaH, concerned for man’s well-being, also provides on another plane. God does not want man to be “alone.” It seems evident from YeHoWaH’s decision, that personal loneliness is detrimental to His plan for the man. God’s solution is to provide “a helper” who is similar/“comparable” to him. Thus this helper will offer real aid. The man too must have a counterpart to his own kind.
“Alone”—db bad—1) Alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone. Strong—properly, Separation; by implication, A part of the body, branch of a tree, bar for carrying; figuratively, Chief of a city; especially (with prepositional prefix) as an adverb, Apart, only, besides:-- Alone, apart, bar, besides, branch, by self, of each alike, except, only, part, staff, strength.
“Make”(See :4)—hse aw-saw'— To do, fashion, accomplish, make. Strong—To do or make, in the broadest sense & widest application.
“Helper”(See :20)—rze ay'-zer— Help, succor.
“Comparable//Meet/Suitable/Like”(See :20)—dgn neh'-ghed—with prep—5) What is in front of, corresponding to; 6) In front of, before; 7) In the sight or presence of;8) Parallel to; 9) Over, for; 10) In front, opposite; 11) At a distance. Strong—A front, i.e. Part opposite; specifically a counterpart, or mate; usually (adverbial, especially with preposition) over against or before.
:19 Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field & every bird of the air, & brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.”
As with the man, so “every beast” & “bird” was formed “out of the ground.” These animals were “brought” to the man. It was man’s task to name them.
This is the first instance of a transition of translation from “the man” to a proper name—“Adam.” in the NKJV, KJV. This shift occurs in the NASB & NIV in verse 20.
“Formed”(See :7, 8)—ruy yaw-tsar'—V. Qal waw Consecutive third masculine singular—To form, fashion, frame. Strong—To mould into a form; especially as a potter; figuratively, To determine (i.e. form a resolution):-- X earthen, fashion, form, frame, make(-r), potter, purpose.
“Brought”(See :22)—awb bow'—V. Hifil waw consecutive third masculine singular apocopated—1) To go in, enter, come, go, come in—1b) (Hiphil)—1b1) To lead in—1b2) To carry in, 1b3) To bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon, 1b4) to bring to pass.
“Call”(See :23)—arq kaw-raw'—V. Qal imperfect third masculine singular—1) To call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
“Name”—Mv shame—1)Name—1a) Name, 1b) Reputation, fame, glory, 1c) The Name (as designation of God), 1d) memorial, monument.
:20—“So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, & to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.”
This is the first instance of a transition of translation from “the man” to a proper name—“Adam.” in the NASB & NIV. This same shift occurs in the NKJV, KJV in verse 19. Is the article missing?
Adam did as instructed & named all the land animals & birds of the air.
In his naming them, it became apparent to the man that there was no animal which was fit for his companionship as none was like him. None was made in the image of God(1:26-27) & none had the very breath of life breathed into them by YeHoWaH Himself(:7). The man was supremely alone in all the earth.
The term rze (“helper”) is also used frequently to describe YeHoWaH’s relationship to Israel.—Victor P. Hamilton
“Cattle”—hmhb be-hay-maw'—1) Beast, cattle, animal—1a) Beasts (coll of all animals), 1b) Cattle, livestock (of domestic animals), 1c) Wild beasts. Strong—from an unused root (probably meaning to be mute); properly, A dumb beast; especially any large quadruped or animal (often collective):-- Beast, cattle.
“Found”—aum maw-tsaw'—1) To find, attain to.
“Helper”(See :18)—rze ay'-zer— Help, succor.
“Comparable/Meet/Suitable/Like”(See :18)—dgn neh'-ghed—with prep—5) What is in front of, corresponding to; 6) In front of, before; 7) In the sight or presence of;8) Parallel to; 9) Over, for; 10) In front, opposite; 11) At a distance. Strong—A front, i.e. Part opposite; specifically a counterpart, or mate; usually (adverbial, especially with preposition) over against or before.
Counterpart—English— ‘holding a position or performing a function that corresponds to that of another person.’
:21—“And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, & he slept; & He took one of his ribs, & closed up the flesh in its place.”
YeHoWaH God then caused the man(Adam) to “fall” into a “sleep” so “deep” that God then removed one of the man’s very ribs.
This is the only place in Scripture where elu is translated “rib.” It is usually understood as “side.”—Victor P. Hamilton
God them “closed up” the man’s surgical wound. This was the first surgery ever performed.
Surgery seems a rather odd work for an Almighty Self-existent God, who has just created all things ex-nihilo. So why did God not simply “create” a woman from scratch? It is probably because God had finished/completed every aspect of His creation & deemed it to be “very good” thru the blessing & sanctification of the seventh day(1:31—2:1-3). Creation is thereby sealed as a very significant & perfect work.
To create again would be to say that the creation was flawed in some way(not “very good”), thus implying that God’s determination was wrong.
Adam “does not afflict himself with any care about it, but lies down & sleeps sweetly, as one that had cast all his care on God, with a cheerful resignation of himself & all his affairs to his Maker's will & wisdom.”—Matthew Henry
“Deep” sleep”—hmdrt tar-day-maw'—Deep sleep, trance.
“cause to Fall”—lpn naw-fal'—1) To fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
“Took”(See :23)—xql law-kakh'—1) To take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
“Ribs”—elu tsay-law'—1) Side, rib, beam. Strong—A rib (as curved), literally (of the body) or figuratively (of a door, i.e. leaf); hence, A side, literally (of a person) or figuratively (of an object or the sky, i.e. quarter); architecturally, a (especially floor or ceiling) Timber or plank (single or collective, i.e. a flooring):-- Beam, board, chamber, corner, leaf, plank, rib, side (chamber).
“Closed up”—rgo saw-gar'—1) To shut, close. Strong—To shut up; figuratively, to surrender:-- Close up, deliver (up), give over (up), inclose, X pure, repair, shut (in, self, out, up, up together), stop, X straitly.
:22—“Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, & He brought her to the man.”
YeHoWaH God then built a woman from the the man’s side & presented her to him.
Adam “had a help meet for him, which abundantly made up his loss: what God takes away from his people he will, one way or other, restore with advantage.”—Matthew Henry
“Made”—hnb baw-naw'—1) To build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue. Strong— To build (literally & figuratively):-- (begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make, repair, set (up), X surely.
“Woman”(See :23)—hva ish-shaw'—1) Woman, wife, female— 1a) woman (opposite of man)—1b) Wife (woman married to a man), 1c) Female (of animals), 1d) Each, every (pronoun).
“Brought”(See :19)—awb bow'—V. Hifil waw consecutive third masculine singular apocopated—1) To go in, enter, come, go, come in—1b) (Hiphil)—1b1) To lead in—1b2) To carry in, 1b3) To bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon, 1b4) to bring to pass.
:23—“And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.””
The man (Mda aw-dawm' “Adam”) then responds to the presentation of God’s gift. He immediately breaks out with a statement declaring his needed counterpart (helper) has been found/built!
The strength of their relationship is seen in their being sharers of both bone & flesh. The man recognizes that his new counterpart has arisen from his very body!
The man then names her, as he had done with the animals, in effect sealing their singular companionship.
The man “called” her “Woman” as she had been taken “out of Man.”
The woman’s name indicates the husband/wife relationship as it stems from vya(below) which is, among other things, the common term for a husband.
This is the first instance of a switch from Mda to vya. This undoubtedly speaks of a particular role &/or relationship added for Mda(the man).
This is also the first recording, in Scripture, of man’s directly speaking his emotional thoughts.
“Bone”—Mue eh'tsem—1) Bone, essence, substance—1a) Bone—1a1) Body, limbs, members, external body, 1b) Bone (of animal) 1c) Substance, self. Strong—A bone (as strong); by extension, The body; figuratively, The substance, i.e. (as pron.) selfsame:-- Body, bone, X life, (self-)same, strength, X very.
“Flesh”(See :24)—rsb baw-sawr'—1) Flesh—1a) Of the body—1a1) Of humans, 1a2) Of animals, 1b) the body itself, 1c) Male organ of generation (euphemism), 1d) Kindred, blood-relations, 1e) Flesh as frail or erring (man against God), 1f) All living things, 1g) Animals, 1h) Mankind.
“Called”(See :19)—arq kaw-raw'—V. Qal imperfect third masculine singular—1) To call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
“Woman”(See :22, 24)—hva ish-shaw'—1) Woman, wife, female— 1a) woman (opposite of man)—1b) Wife (woman married to a man), 1c) Female (of animals), 1d) Each, every (pronoun).
“Taken out of” (See :21—“Took”)—xql law-kakh'—1) To take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
“Man”—vya eesh—1) Man—1a) Man, male (in contrast to woman, female), 1b) Husband, 1c) Human being, person (in contrast to God), 1d) Servant, 1e) Mankind, 1f) Champion, 1g) Great man; 2) Whosoever; 3) Each (adjective). Strong—a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (& in such cases frequently not expressed in translation):-- also, another, any (man), a certain, + champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, [foot-, husband-]man, [good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man[-kind], + none, one, people, person, + steward, what (man) soever, whoso(-ever), worthy.
:24—“Therefore a man shall leave his father & mother & be joined to his wife, & they shall become one flesh.”
Seeing as this woman was man’s true counterpart, Moses relates that this relationship is the reason that whenever a man reaches husband(man) status, then he will freely “leave” both mother & father. Thus the relationship between parents & children is unlike that between husband & wife. The husband will leave them in order to “be joined to his wife.” In fact the relationship is so close between husband & wife, as to warrant the two of them becoming “one flesh,” something which cannot happen in a parent-child relationship.
Israel is often told to qbd(“join/cleave”) to YeHoWaH their God.
“Leave”—bze aw-zab'—V. Qal imperfect third masculine singular—1) To leave, loose, forsake—1a) (Qal) To leave, 1a1) To depart from, leave behind, leave, let alone, 1a2) To leave, abandon, forsake, neglect, apostatise, 1a3) To let loose, set free, let go, free. Strong—To loosen, i.e. Relinquish, permit, etc.:-- Commit self, fail, forsake, fortify, help, leave (destitute, off), refuse, X surely.
“Joined”—qbd daw-bak'—1) To cling, stick, stay close, cleave, keep close, stick to, stick with, follow closely, join to, overtake, catch—V. Qal perfect third masculine singular consecutive—1a) (Qal)—1a1) To cling, cleave to, 1a2) To stay with.
“Wife”(See :22, 23—“Woman”)—hva ish-shaw'—Feminine of vya eesh—1) Woman, wife, female— 1a) woman (opposite of man)—1b) Wife (woman married to a man), 1c) Female (of animals), 1d) Each, every (pronoun).
“Become”(See :24)—hyh haw-yaw—V. Qal perfect third masculine singular consecutive—1) To be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out—1a) (Qal)—1a1) —1a1a) To happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass, 1a1b) To come about, come to pass—1a2) To come into being, become—1a2a) To arise, appear, come, 1a2b) To become—1a2b1) To become, 1a2b2) To become like, 1a2b3) To be instituted, be established. Strong—To exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, & not a mere copula or auxiliary).
“Flesh”(See :23)—rsb baw-sawr'—1) Flesh—1a) Of the body—1a1) Of humans, 1a2) Of animals, 1b) the body itself, 1c) Male organ of generation (euphemism), 1d) Kindred, blood-relations, 1e) Flesh as frail or erring (man against God), 1f) All living things, 1g) Animals, 1h) Mankind.
Argumentation:
Php 4:15-19—“Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving & receiving but you only. For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once & again for my necessities. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Indeed I have all & abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
Paul had to have a counterpart for the success of his ministry(15-18).
Likewise, God must be our counterpart for success(:19).
It is sad to see desperate people join in marriage without God’s blessings & not even seeing each other as a complement of the other. Missing the Counterpart-ive aspect & merely for self-gratification. So much of secular music is directed thusly.
We must recognize the one God has chosen for us as our perfect complement/counterpart. The very one to complete our lack/inability!
1Cor. 7:4—“The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.”
Mat. 19:3-6—“The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, & saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” And He answered & said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male & female,’ “& said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father & mother & be joined to his wife, & the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.””
Illustration:
Local bakery owner—Has recipes, loves providing high quality goods to others/Comes up with the concept/Needs management to make it happen/COUNTERPART
A tree without leaves cannot process light/It cannot create energy to run its many life functions/COUNTERPART
Something necessary to be complete
Application:
?Your Mission bound-up in the reality of Man’s COUNTERPART?
?Your Mission bound-up in God’s will?
8—Mankind’s mission is bound-up with....
His INNOCENCE (:25)
Explanation:(:25) Unashamed/free from guilt
:25—“And they were both naked, the man & his wife, & were not ashamed.”
Innocence is to be free & clear of guilt for responsibility in a matter. Total innocence would be the absence of sin...the state in which Adam & Eve lived.
Neither Adam nor Eve were clothed. In God’s Garden there was no need for clothing, as there must have been no extremes of temperature.
This statement anticipates the Fall. Previous to the Fall there was no cognizance of sin, so “shame” was not part of Adam & Eve’s(3:20) experience in the garden.
There was “nothing sinful, defective, scandalous or blameworthy...no sin in their nature, no guilt on their consciences, or wickedness in their hands or actions; & particularly they were not ashamed of their being naked, no more than children are to see each other naked, or we are to behold them”—John Gill.
*Neither were they proud of their bodies &/or their ‘endowment,’ by the Lord their God, so that they wanted to show it off. Obviously there was no other person to parade it to except God. Wouldn’t that put a stop to most of our society’s hedonism & pride if we were to think of it as directed toward the God of our Salvation.
Where there is no command(law of God), there is innocence. Entrance of God’s commandment(law) brings responsibility to honor it. The commandment(law) itself produces knowledge of sin & personal desire with deadly consequences(Rom. 7:7-25).
“Naked”—Mwre aw-rome'—Naked, bare.
“Man”(See :24)—Mda aw-dawm'—Man, mankind. Strong—Ruddy i.e. A human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.).
“Ashamed”—vwb boosh—1) To put to shame, be ashamed, be disconcerted, be disappointed. Strong—properly, To pale, i.e. by implication To be ashamed; also (by implication) To be disappointed or delayed:-- (be, make, bring to, cause, put to, with, a-)shamed(-d), be (put to) confounded(-fusion), become dry, delay, be long.
Argumentation:
Acts 20:26-27—““Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.”
2Cor. 7:1—“Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh & spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
Prov 30:12—“There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, Yet is not washed from its filthiness.”
Lk. 16:13-15 ““No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one & love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one & despise the other. You cannot serve God & mammon.” Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, & they derided Him. And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”
Lu 18:10-14—““Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee & the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood & prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. ‘I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, & he who humbles himself will be exalted.””
Eph 5:21-33—“submitting to one another in the fear of God. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; & He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church & gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify & cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy & without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes & cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh & of His bones. For this reason a man shall leave his father & mother & be joined to his wife, & the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ & the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, & let the wife see that she respects her husband.”
The above didn’t need to be stated at creation, before sin. There was the perfect love & respect of innocence between Adam & Eve.
Illustration:
Children playing in a swimming pool/Inevitably take off their clothes—No shame(& there shouldn’t be!), just child-like delight in freedom/Little naked kids don’t incite sin/There is an apparent innocence as they play/INNOCENCE
No thought of disobedience/sin present
Application:
?Your Mission bound-up in the reality of Man’s INNOCENCE?
?Your Mission bound-up in God’s will?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
Mankind’s mission is bound-up with....
4. His PLACEMENT(:8-14) The Garden in Eden
5. His RESPONSIBILITY/Purpose(:15) Cultivate & Keep
6. His CHOICES—FREEDOM & PROHIBITION (:16-17)
7. His COUNTERPART (:18-24) Woman
8. His INNOCENCE (:25) Unashamed
1. His HISTORY (:4)
2. His FUTURE(:4-6)
3. His BREATH(:7)the Breath of Life—God-given
Presented 11/14/2010am to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
